Hatchling Husbandry

Husky 54-gallon Tote (for hatchlings up to 6 months old)

Homemade Tortoise Table (for babies up to 1-1.5 years old)

Organic topsoil (not pictured)

Zoo Med Eco Earth Coco Coir

Zoo Med Forest Floor

Zoo Med 75-Watt Basking Bulb

Zoo Med Mini Deep Dome Fixture

Zoo Med Light Stand

Arcadia fluorescent T5 HO lights and fixtures.

Sterilite 2.5 Quart "flip top" box (for 1-2 hatchlings)

Sterilite 6 Quart box (for 3 or more hatchlings)

Zoo Med New Zealand Sphagnum Moss

Ceramic heat emitter

Vivarium Electronics TH-100 Digital Thermometer + Hygrometer with Probe

Zoo Med Repticare Day/Night Timer

Zoo Med Reptifogger

Half Log Hides

Wansview Wifi 720P Camera

We soak all of our hatchlings every morning in warm water for 30 minutes. This helps keep them hydrated and maintains healthy kidney function.

A variety of food is provided, with something different for breakfast each morning. Food is provided after soaking, and is left for part of the day so hatchlings can graze.

Various items we feed include: natural weeds and flowers that we grow from seed, Mazuri (moistened), spineless prickly pear cactus (and cactus fruit), and "store bought" organic leafy greens (dandelion, romaine lettuce, collard greens, mustard greens, turnip greens, escarole, endive, and radicchio).

Fresh water is provided using a small terra cota plant saucer. It's shallow to prevent drowning, and wide enough to crawl into, should the hatchlings wish to soak themselves.

We keep a cuttlebone in every enclosure. All the babies nibble at them when they need calcium.

Calcium powder is also lightly sprinkled on top of their breakfast twice a week.

We spot clean our enclosures daily, usually while hatchlings are soaking. We remove any feces and uneaten crumbs of food.

We use a pump sprayer to mist each enclosure (some daily, others weekly). This imitates a light rain.

We only handle our hatchlings when soaking them, cleaning their enclosures, or the occasional visit to the Vet when needed.

We otherwise leave them alone in their habitats to prevent stressing them out. 

- Plastic container. (We buy ours at Home Depot).

- Ruler

- Sharpie marker

- Cutting blade

- Sphagnum moss

Use the ruler and Sharpie marker to draw the entrance to be cut.

Using the cutting blade, slice gently along the marked line.

BE CAREFUL. Not only are you using a sharp blade, but plastic can crack.

Take handfuls of sphagnum moss, wet in warm water, squeeze any excess water, and place in the humid hide until it's almost full.

Keep the sphagnum moss moist and warm at all times.

These particular containers are great because of their pop-open lids, allowing for easy access to tortoises, maintenance of the moss, and cleaning.